West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1887-12-15
A CLEVER CAPTURE.

At three o'clock one morning twentv
years ago | was on railroad train Doino
from Portage, Wisconsin, to Milwaukee,
mad been out on some private detective
Work Tor parties in the latter C ty. and
had succeeded so we'll that was both
happy and sIecpless. This was The rea
son was not IN Sleeping car, fast held
In the arms of Slumbcr instead of oc.
cupying seat in the common coach with
my eyes very wide open aud my wits All
about me.
may say, without egotism, that I am
an observing man. There arc others i'm
plenty, but the greater half of humanity
go through life with their eyes half shut
My father was a Sheriff for many wears
ana, rs boy, he taught me to observe
and remember If went down town or
out Tor walk, ] had to tell him, when
got home, who and what | had seen
On one occasion, for failing to report a
loose horse had seen in the road | got
sound thrashing, and again, for failing
10 report street fight, my liberty was
taken away for four days. / can thus
trnthiuliy say 10 YOU that had the habit
Oh observation ckcd into me, while ma
tuIe hau klrdly furnished me with very
Ietentive memory. BY and by / began
W s'quy human character as profession,
ana liked 1t. learned TO read mems
characteristics by their faces. and fbair
thoughts by their actions. and on two
occasions this faculty of perception nre-
vented Jail deliveries.
was wide awake, as have told Won
when the train stopped at a country
station on signal. 1t barely came TO n
staudstill, and only one passenger got
aooard. The car was pretty we'll filed.
ana such OF the pa sengers as had seats
alone were stretched out in sleep / had
sized up every one near me, and had
counted up two honest old farmers. n
uroVer' two milliners, n mechanic and
Iamlly, and house painter who was
evidently going TO the CITY for work
NO ono seemed 10 notice the entrance of
tho new passenger. 1t was in October
and he had on fall overcoat He carried
heavy Use in one hand. and he came
down the aisle, boxing from right to
left, until he finally reached my scat
moved TO the window as n hint that
was ready 10 share il with him. but bc
hesitated for long minute, and looked
at me sharply three or four times before
ne finally sat down. The satchcl be
placed between his feet. lie had not
uttered word, and after sitting down
ne seemed to forget all about me
heliol but have found a two-lepoed
h0S' i said to myself after bit ~
oHered him half my scat Of my own free
VIII ahu ne seems TO be mad because /
did not surrender it all. Old fellow
you are an HOG, and no mistake Lei
me look you over bit"
leaned back against the window. pre-
tended TO shut my eyes and resume my
nap, and then inventoried the fellow
ne had hard, cruel face on him. and
ieit sure he was q man with little mercy
IN ms heart / had not been looking NJ
MN over two minutes when I saw that
nc was taking sly glanccs at me, and that
ne was quite anxious about the satchel.
IN the course Of five minutes he turned
around and gave me a thorough LOOKING
over, aud j read in the gesture Of his
hand and the toss Of his head that he
said 10 himself.
him 2" "
His dress was that Of n barkeoper
rather fiashy. The iewelry he wore oave
him away rs we'll If he was not a bar
Keeper he was at least the owner Of
saloon, and, from his build I JUDGED
him to be q pugilist OF more or less local
lame. After one general look At his
oress' began at his collar TO make n
closer inspection. His shirt collar kent
working mp TO annoy I'M, and said 10
myself that the button was gone and he
had fastened IL with n pin. In his twist
ing around he pulled his overcoat back.
and saw that the top button on his un-
der coat had been pulled out by a violent
jerk, leaving q hole in the cloth. The
coat was new, aud 70 would take a heavy
wrench TO pull the button out that way.
! followed his arm down TO his right
hand, and across the back Of il was
long scratch. IL was q fresh scratch. for
the marks Of blood still fingered. NV
eyes dropped 10 the strangers right lee.
and saw that his knee was damp and
so.lcd. Ho had certainly fallen on the
ground. j might have reasoned that he
had met with very common accident
bat ] didn't I said TO myself.
Old fellow, you hive locked horns
with somebody TO get mus ell up thie
way. IL Is scrapc you don't want
known, for you keep throwing snxiors
Rlanco3 30 me- III 10 was only an aoc;.
dent you'd geo up and fy that colla-.
gr0wl little over the spot on your knee.
and cuss ihe railroad company for having
depot platform unprotected by q rail
ing at iho ends Wonder what you've